#nor am i of j/ane seymour

[fideidefenswhore]

i just need to know why philippa gregory likes mary boleyn so much

tbh, i assume she feels an affinity with her bcus she's very credulous about sanders' interpretation about mary's connection with, and sympathy for, coa (in which she tells her to take heart and that her sister is a bad woman and henry can never marry her, etc)? in tobg she wrote her as catherine's 'favorite maid in waiting' before her affair with henry and there's absolutely nothing that suggests that (catherine had favorites and even friends as much as queens can have friends, mary was not among their number). if you want to reach and insist that her placement in chateau vert was due mainly to an especial favour from the queen, then you have to do likewise for anne's. just because catherine's sister-in-law and friend was among them does not mean she was as close to the other women in that pageant as she was to mary tudor (although i understand why that is tempting, besides jane parker and mary and anne boleyn, it does seem like the featured players remained catherine's supporters, among them also gertrude blount); featured women at court events were selected based on an amalgam of status, beauty, talent, wit, etc., it had very little to do with friendship/personal liking or favour although of course it would give an edge.